`will Of The People' Diminished By Florida Justices

19-year-old Pleads Guilty To July Killing 
Michael Nixon Of Edwardsville Was Sentenced To 11-to-22 Years In Prison For
The Shooting Death Of Jose Cordero.

By DONNA THOMAS donnat@leader.net
 Saturday, December 02, 2000 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 9A 





A Wilkes-Barre man who drove his car through a New Jersey coffee shop in
June, killing a man, has been cleared of criminal charges. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Joseph Santiglia, 52, of Alpine Lane, was originally charged with driving
under the influence, but blood tests revealed he was sober at the time, said
John L. Higgins III, an assistant district attorney in Bergen County, N.J. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Santiglia's car crashed through a window of a Starbucks coffee shop,
pinning Stanford University professor Jeffrey Alan Willick against a wall.
Willick, 40, later died at a hospital. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Higgins said Santiglia was cited with careless driving, but the
investigation determined his actions did not rise to the level to warrant more
serious criminal charges, such as vehicular homicide. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``This was a terrible tragedy, but we cannot say his conduct in driving was
criminal,'' Higgins said. ``Mere negligent conduct is not criminal conduct.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At the time, Santiglia was taking prescription medicines for depression,
which doctors have said would not have affected his driving ability. Police
thought he was intoxicated because he looked stunned and lost his balance
after the incident. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``There are no charges filed because he didn't do anything wrong,'' said
Santiglia's attorney, Frank Lucianna of Hackensack, N.J. ``It could have
happened to anybody. Unfortunately an innocent person was killed.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Santiglia did not return a message left at his home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Santiglia could have been charged with vehicular homicide and sentenced to
up to 10 years in prison if prosecutors could prove he was reckless in his
driving, Higgins said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Recklessness, as defined by New Jersey law, is a substantial risk that a
reasonable person would not attempt, Higgins said. Drunken driving is an
example of recklessness, he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Santiglia and his attorney have blamed the crash on a malfunctioning cruise
control on his 2000 Mustang. Santiglia said the car surged forward into the
store after he swerved to avoid other cars slowing in traffic. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Higgins said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records show
that model year of Mustangs did have a problem with cruise control. But an
inspection and testing of Santiglia's found no defects. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

W-b Man Avoids Criminal Charges In Deadly Car Crash 
Investigation Concludes That Joseph Santiglia Wasn't Driving Recklessly When
His Car Drove Through A N.j. Coffee Shop, Killing A Man.

W-b Man Avoids Criminal Charges In Deadly Car Crash Investigation Concludes That Joseph Santiglia Wasn't Driving Recklessly When His Car Drove Through A N.j. Coffee Shop, Killing A Man.